Fashion Focus: The Best Fit

You buy an outfit. It looks great on the mannequin, or on the model from the website. The colors are right; the style is right– the entire ensemble just seems to scream that it’s perfect for you. You buy the right size, try it on, and then… oh dear. It looks terrible, and you have no idea why it looks so bad.

If you’re a woman who has bought clothes — so, all of us then — you’ve probably been through a similar experience to this. We all soon learn that having clothes that fit correctly isn’t just about whether or not we fit into the clothes; it’s about how the clothes fall, how they sit on our body, what they do to our body shape. You will never truly know if an item suits you before you try it on, which is especially difficult when it comes to internet shopping.

In an effort to try and simplify the clothes-buying process, here are a few techniques that can ensure you have the perfect fit, every time.

Change… The Clothes

If you fit into a garment but it looks all kinds of wrong on you, then the first thing to try and change is the garment itself. Minor alterations to rack-bought clothes can give you a delightful, bespoke wardrobe that is tailored just to you.

You have two options for how you get your clothes altered. You can pay a tailor to do the work for you, or you can try the DIY method. If you’ve never sewn before, you can start learning the basics at TheSpruce.com. From there, you can branch out to small alterations and see how it goes– though it’s wise to practice on old clothes first, just in case you make a mistake.

Change… You

While you may fit into an item, there’s no guarantee that your body is quite what the designers had in mind when they created the clothes. We’re all different body shapes and sizes, and sometimes, clothes you want to wear might require a little work to ensure they look right.

There are various ways to do this, from exercising your arms to waist training to create the classic “hourglass” figure that all bodycon dresses demands. To achieve these aims, you could speak to a personal trainer or browse products at WaistedTogether.com and see if something might suit. These, of course, are just examples; tightening, toning, and refining any area of your body that seems to look not-quite-right in clothes will be beneficial for your fashionista side.

Change… Where You Shop

Some fashion stores don’t really think when they size clothes. They have the basic idea, which is usually first produced to the model-appropriate size 0, and then they just make it larger. This ignores the fact that women are shaped differently, and enlarging an item doesn’t mean it will actually fit anyone over the model size– or at least, it won’t fit in a proper way that looks good.

Select stores that know how sizing up alone isn’t enough. These stores tend to be more expensive, but they’re worth it if you want to feel fabulous in everything you wear. The right clothes aren’t always easy to find in the right size, but they are out there and they’re worth looking for.